Max Heart Rate: Fitness Test

Find Your Max Heart Rate

If you already use a heart rate monitor for training, one way to determine your maximal (or peak) heart rate is to base it on the highest HR number you've recorded over the last 18 months. This usually occurs during a race or a group interval session.

Conduct this field test with a training partner to gain a clear idea of your maximum heart rate. Use a heart rate monitor to determine your maximum heart rate.

Once you know your maximum heart rate, you can utilise our online calculator to create a set of 5 Training Zones.

The Test

Warm up for 15 minutes on a flat surface, gradually building up to your usual training pace. Select a hill that will take more than two minutes to climb. Run up the hill once, accelerating to the hardest pace you could theoretically maintain for 20 minutes. After that, return to the base of the hill.

1. Run up the hill again, increasing your effort to the best rate you could theoretically sustain for 3 kilometres. Note your highest heart rate displayed. Your HR max is roughly 10 beats higher than the noted value.
2. Run back down the hill, allowing your heart rate to decrease by 30–40 beats per minute from its previous level.
3. Run up the hill once more at a pace you can only sustain for 1 minute. Attempt to run halfway up the hill and monitor your highest heart rate. This approach will bring you close to your maximum heart rate, which you can use as your HRmax to establish your training zones.
4. Ensure you cool down for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Important Note: Conducting a maximum heart rate field test while unprepared can cause extreme distress. If in doubt, consult your physician before commencing the test.

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